Lilac is America’s only surviving steam-powered lighthouse tender. Built in 1933 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, Lilac is now a museum ship owned by the non-profit Lilac Preservation Project.

My novel, Hell Around the Horn, is also free today and tomorrow. Based on an actual voyage, the novel is set on a British windjammer rounding Cape Horn in the particularly brutal winter of 1905.  Hell Around the Horn, is a story of survival and the human spirit. Click here to download a free copy of Hell around the Horn.

Shaped on all Six Sides from New Canada on Vimeo.

The National Maritime Historical Society is honoring PortSide’s Founder & Director Carolina Salguero with their “New York Harbor Historic Ship Steward Award of Excellence.”   The MARY A. WHALEN is on the the National Register of Historic Places and is considered to be the only tanker cultural center in the world.

We recently posted about PortSide NewYork winning a White House Champions of Change award in recognition for the wonderful work done by the non-profit organization to assist their neighbors in Red Hook, a Brooklyn community absolutely devastated by Hurricane Sandy.  PortSide NewYork’s Founder and Director Carolina Salguero  traveled to Washington to receive the award.

Our congratulations to Carolina and all the folks at PortSide New York for both, well deserved, awards.

Decker was a German national who had recently purchased the boat and planned to live aboard.  On November 15th of last year, he disappeared and is presumed to have drowned in the Merrimack River.  No one knows what happened to him and his body was never recovered, though there are theories. As reported by the Gloucester Times:

Decker’s disappearance was first suspected when his dog was found tied to a post at Cashman Park. The Coast Guard discovered his swamped dinghy tied to the stern of his sailboat, which was located on the Salisbury side of the river opposite the park.  

Gradually, a theory emerged to explain what must have happened: Decker planned to row his dinghy to his boat, then motor it back to Cashman Park to pick up his dog. A rope became entangled in the sailboat’s propeller, and when Decker attempted to free it, he fell into the river and drowned. A search was launched but his body was not found.

When Decker’s family had no interest in the boat, the town of Newburyport winterized it and put it in storage. It is now offering for dale to the highest bidder on Municibid, an online government auction site.  Bidding is open until May 29th.  As of this morning there were 31 bids and the top offers was $10,100, which is below the reserve price. A brief check of the yacht brokerages suggests that the average price for an Endeavour 37 of this age is around $40,000, with boats being offered between a low of $27,000 and a high of $65,000.

It is unclear whether the current low bid price reflects the time until the close of the auction, concerns about the possibly of the boat being a “ghost ship” as widely reported, or just that the current color scheme of a green hull with gold boot and cove stripes might be somewhat off-putting.  Perhaps a bit of all three.

Thanks to William Nicholson on Facebook for pointing out the story.

Twice Forgotten: Story of the WWII Submarine R-12

To read the books, you do not need a Kindle e-reader. With the free Kindle app, the books are readable on iPads, Blackberries, android tablets, smart phones and desktop and laptop computers. Help us celebrate by downloading free copies of these three wonderful books.

Joan Druett

Old Salt Press, LLC is an independent press catering to those who love books about ships and the sea. We are an association of writers working together to produce the very best of nautical and maritime fiction and non-fiction. We invite you to join us as we go down to the sea in books.

Kyle Bruner, 34, was working as first mate on the Liberty Clipper when he witnessed three men mugging two women on the streets of Nassau, Bruner’s father, Rick, confirmed with NBC Chicago.

“Kyle intervened and they grabbed the bags and ran off, and as they were running off, one turned and fired a shot at him and hit him in the neck,” Rick Bruner said.

View more videos at: http://nbcchicago.com.

Thanks to Robert Kennedy for passing along the sad news. Our deepest condolences to Kyle Bruner’s family and friends.

Photo by Billy Black – www.billyblack.com

The first time I saw Billy Black‘s photo of the collision, I had to look twice to believe what I was seeing. It show two white yachts, both under full sail, one slicing half-way through the other.  The collision took place on 07/07/07.  The losing boat in the collision was the 107-year-old NY30 Herreshoff yacht Amorita of Newport, RI.   “07-07-07, Amorita’s Unlucky Day” is a film, directed by French sailor-director Pierre Marcel, which recounts the history, dramatic sinking and resurrection of the classic yacht Amorita.

“07-07-07, Amorita’s Unlucky Day” Film trailer

http://www.classicboat.co.uk/news/amorita-and-sumurun-the-most-dramtatic-yacht-racing-crash-of-recent-history-video/